


Stumbling in 3/4 Time

by WarmaCrewe



Category: Namesake (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-05 04:12:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3105218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarmaCrewe/pseuds/WarmaCrewe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Forced to attend a ridiculous Calliope Equinox Ball, Emma needs to take dance lessons. Everything is as embarrassing as anticipated, but the consequences are somewhat unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stumbling in 3/4 Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rybari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rybari/gifts).



“Equinox Ball?” asked Emma skeptically.

“Yes. The Celebration of the Vernal Equinox is a tradition that Calliope has kept for thousands of years, and dancing has always been an integral part,” said Alice.

Emma glanced at Selva. Predictably, she looked positively brimming with enthusiasm. Fortunately her brother, standing beside her, did not appear to share those feelings. He met Emma's glance and rolled his eyes. Emma snapped her focus back to Alice, blushing for some absurd reason.

“Okay, well, sounds lovely Alice, but I think I'll sit that one out. I've never been much of a dancer, or party person for that matter.” Alice might be able to boss around their training, but surely her power ended there. Right?

Unfortunately for Emma, Alice grinned menacingly at her words. Just a little too widely, with teeth just a bit too pointed for comfort.

“Oh I don't think so, Miss Crewe. As new recruits you are required to attend this function. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other people in Calliope that you haven't met before. Our members often come back from surrounding regions in particular to attend the festivities. So you will all be there.”

Emma shook her head and sighed with exasperation. “And,” continued Alice, staring directly at Emma, “You will be required to wear formal attire and open the ball with a waltz.”

“WHAT?!” squawked Emma and Warrick in unison, as Elaine said “Yay!” behind them.

“No exceptions. This custom will point you out to our older members, as well as integrate you into the larger society,” said Alice. “Lizabeth can help fit you for suitable clothing by next week,” she ended, flashing one more cat-like grin before exiting the room.

The five of them turned to face each other. Selva and Elaine were beaming, Ben looked bemused, and Warrick uncomfortable. Emma didn't know what her face looked like, but it must have been bad because Ben put a hand on her shoulder. “Dude, it'll be fine. One dance and some silly clothes.”

Selva burst out, “More than fine! I can finally wear the gown I've been designing! And I've patterned one out for you too Emma! I can talk to Lizabeth about materials but – oh! Where do you buy fabric? Is there a loom here? I can always make one but I'd rather -”

Elaine actually bounced up and down like a small child. “This is so exciting! I've never been to a really fancy dance before! It'll be so much better than prom! Maybe Selva can make me levitate like in Harry Potter wow that would be so amazing! Selva can you make me a dress too? And we can do Emma's hair like in Ever --”

“I am _not_ wearing a dress and I am _**not**_ dancing!” said Emma sternly.

“I think you don't have much of a choice,” said Warrick. He was the only one who understood, wasn't he?

“Warrick maybe if we talk to Wendy first she'll be able to persuade Alice to let us out of the dancing part? At least that?”

Warrick seemed doubtful. “Well... if it is only one dance. They're usually over pretty quickly, about five minutes give or take.”

Emma suddenly understood the subtext she had been missing. “Wait. You know how to waltz, don't you?”

Warrick blushed, “Um yeah. A little bit.” Selva elbowed him. “He knows more than a little! We used to practice dancing all the time as kids.”

Elaine piped up. “Oh that's perfect! He can teach us how and then you'll be like a princess at the ball, Emma!”

Selva grinned “I know how to dance as well, Elaine. I can teach you and Ben, and Warrick can teach Emma.”

Elaine and Selva stared evilly at Emma and Warrick.

This was going to be bad.

********************************

As soon as she thought her scheming roommates were safely asleep, Emma quietly slid out from under her covers. She had made certain to wear “pajamas” which were passably casual clothing that she wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in by others. She grabbed a long-sleeved t-shirt that she had hidden under her blankets and took her flats from under the bed. She crept barefooted across the room and slowly opened the door. Neither Elaine nor Selva stirred. Emma carefully closed the bedroom door and stole out into the hallway towards the staircase.

All of this creeping around. Was she back in primary school? It certainly felt that way. Mandatory formal dances. Sneaking off to meet a boy after hours. However she knew that the cost of this childish behavior was worth being able to escape Elaine and Selva's scrutiny while she endured learning how to dance. With Warrick.

Emma felt her stomach flip-flop when she thought about it too much. _You are okay, nothing is happening. Everything is normal. This is fine._ Yes. She kept repeating the words in her head. Everything was fine. No reason to be nervous.

She pulled the t-shirt over her head and slipped on her flats. Warrick had also looked pretty discomfited at the idea of dancing in front of everybody. They mutually agreed that to save themselves from teasing both of them would meet away from their sisters' prying eyes. He'd assured her that the basics were easy to learn, especially if someone else was leading.

Emma hated dancing. Hated big parties. Especially hated being put in the spotlight in front of a room full of strangers in an elaborate mess of a gown that she could barely walk in. Selva had been helping charm the dress so that it was more mobile. Emma knew that it would still be dreadful. Couldn't she face a snarling pile of monster-goo instead?

It was nice though, that Warrick shared the same sentiments. Emma didn't mind asserting herself and her own priorities, but Warrick was much more of a pushover. She was planning to get the chore of dancing over with, meet the people she absolutely was required to interact with and leave as soon as the minimum of her obligations were fulfilled. Elaine and Selva had more than enough enthusiasm to entertain everybody else with what would doubtlessly be embarrassing stories about their siblings, but there was no reason she needed to be around to hear them recounted. She'd grab Warrick, they'd get out of there and have the rest of the evening pleasantly by themselves. She really enjoyed spending time alone with him and it would be nice to have some space where they could be sure to be unbothered and just talk. Actually, she was looking forward to it...

She saw him examining the large bronze globe of the world which dominated the hall at the bottom of the staircase. He looked up at her and smiled. Unsurprisingly Warrick appeared to be wearing the same clothes as during that day – he probably hadn't gone to his room at all tonight. Emma gave him a little wave as she descended the stairs. When she got to the end he met her and grinned. “Ready to get this over with?”

“Please,” she sighed, and then smiled a little in spite of herself.

“Follow me,” he pointed and led the way down a dimly lit corridor. He'd told Emma that there was a room that was barely ever used at the east wing of the mansion. Warrick probably knew more about the Calliope building than members that had been part of the organization for years, given that he spent a great deal of his sleepless nights exploring. Sure enough, he stopped in front of a huge set of closed mahogany double doors with an elaborate floral pattern carved into them. He gave a heavy push and they swung open, showing a completely pitch black room. He reached to the side, flipped the light switch and gestured to Emma to enter.

The recessed lights illuminated an oval shaped room, probably roughly the same size as Emma's apartment in Toronto. One side of the room was lined with bookshelves and the other side decoratively papered and hung with oil paintings. Opposite the door was a large, imposing grandfather clock. Some chairs and tables were pushed against the walls and a carpet was rolled up against them, exposing a hardwood floor. Emma nodded to them and looked at Warrick.

“Did you do that?” she asked.

“Yes, I thought we would need the space.” he replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Emma frowned. “Are you sure that's okay? Are we even supposed to be in here at all?”

Warrick shrugged. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. This is the only room around that is flanked by other empty ones during the night. We don't want to disturb anybody, so if we break a couple of rules, you can always blame me. I'm the wicked one, remember?” he smirked.

She grinned, “How could I forget? But seriously, you're doing me a big favor, and I'm really grateful for that.”

His smirk dropped at her words and he glanced downwards and cleared his throat. “It's no bother at all. Shall we get started?”

Emma sighed. “Might as well.” She pulled her iPod out of her pocket and set it on a table. “The sound quality is going to be pretty bad, but it should be enough to be able to get the gist of the music.”

Warrick waved away her concern, “It's just a bonus. We should first practice without music – it's too distracting to learn the steps when you're being pressured to keep to a tempo. Here, let's come to the center to begin,” he said, and Emma followed him to the middle of the room.

“Okay, watch my feet. Everything in a waltz is set on 3/4. All of our steps are going to be 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9 etc. As the lead, I'll start by going forward. One: I'll put my right foot forward. Two: Left foot to the side. Three: Left foot to meet the right. Then heels down and up.” He demonstrated with remarkable grace, and Emma noticed for the first time that he was wearing shiny formal shoes. “Do you see?”

“I think so,” Emma said, trying to keep track of his feet. “But if you're going forward, then I'm -”

“Yeah, you'll be going backwards,” he said with chagrin. Emma groaned. “Normally we would switch directions but given that most people will be inexperienced I think they'll keep it fairly simple. Now, for you, left foot backwards. One...” and again he showed Emma the steps she would need. “Stand next to me and we'll do it side by side.” Emma repeated the dance with surprising ease. After several iterations he said “You're doing quite well. Now, let's try putting the moves together.” He held out his hand to her.

_You're okay. You're just learning._ Emma stared at him, and gingerly accepted his hand. Warrick's expression faltered and he swallowed. “Um, is this all right? I mean we could always -”

She felt heat spread across her cheeks. “No, of course it's fine. Just the whole idea is a little embarrassing.”

“Yeah, for me too,” Warrick said, also blushing red over his green skin. They laughed in unison.

“The whole thing, yeah. Ha,” she said, looking at the floor. She shook her head and smiled at him. “Okay, I'm ready,” she said and drew closer, putting her other hand on his shoulder. Warrick took a deep breath and straightened his posture again.

“Right. So your hand on my shoulder, just like that, and my hand would be on your shoulder. I'm going to lead, so your feet will match mine, just backwards. On the count of three: one, two, three and – step.” Emma accidentally stepped forward at the same time as him and squashed his foot.

“Oh! Sorry.” she said anxiously.

Warrick chuckled. “Please don't worry. We'll be stepping on each other's feet a lot tonight – it's normal. At least you don't have on pointy heeled shoes.” He paused and briefly looked concerned. “Are you going to be wearing any that night?” Emma shook her head.

“Don't tell Selva or Betty, but that dress is long enough that no one will be able to see my feet. They can't stop me from wearing normal shoes.”

He nodded with understanding. “Smart. Okay, let's try again on the count of three...”

They went on practicing over and over until Emma could go up to nine without stepping on his feet. They continued going in a straight line back and forth across the room, but her hand kept slipping off his shoulders. He paused. “Um, actually during the dance you are supposed to stand a little bit closer. Like, uh -” but she stepped forward automatically, her eyes locked on his face. He seemed to shrink a little and clasped her hand tighter. She pulled him back into the dance.

“Yes. I see what you mean. This is easier,” she said in a low voice.

“Yes, it is. Um, okay. One, two, three okay good. Now let's do the rise and fall part. Bend your knees a little...” he continued shakily.

And it was getting simpler all the time. She felt herself relaxing and just let him almost carry her across the floor. She stopped thinking about her feet so much and focused on his face. He was deliberately avoiding her eyes and kept repeating the time and giving directions. Emma was only half listening. Was the room getting warmer? Suddenly she came back to hearing his words.

“You're really a natural at this, Emma. Do you want to try with music this time?” Warrick asked.

“Sure,” she said and crossed the room to get her iPod. She set it to the song she had uploaded earlier, something by Strauss. The internet had said it was good for beginners. As the sound of violins diffused throughout the room Warrick bowed to her, offering his hand.

“Miss Crewe? May I?” he said sincerely. She giggled.

“Why of course, sir,” she replied with exaggerated earnest and half-curtsied, taking his hand.

They drew together and Warrick seemed to hear some cue in the music as they began to dance.

This time it was like a real waltz. After the first few movements Emma looked up from her feet and saw Warrick gazing at her with an odd expression. Although she felt her stomach flip again she couldn't tear her eyes away. She realized that he wasn't keeping time aloud or giving directions. Just the distorted sound of music from the iPod quietly filled the air. That, and the sound of her pulse thrumming in her ears.

_He's a mender. He can feel it._ Of course. He knew that her heart was racing. He knew her breaths were shallow, and probably could read her mind as well. Warrick twirled her around, taking her by surprise. She gasped but easily fell back into his arms and spun out again into the side, swaying in synchrony.

Emma couldn't pretend anymore that nothing was happening between them. She couldn't pretend that what she wanted wasn't to lean further into him, that she wasn't thinking of tilting up her head to meet his and that she didn't want even more than she dared.

The music stopped, leaving the room silent. They paused in their dance, and Emma felt her attention pulled like a magnet towards his face. Inches away from her own.

Yet still a gulf remained. Inches were holding them apart, but they still held.

“You must be tired,” Warrick said.

A thought. The grandfather clock ticking.

“Yes,” she replied. She was tired. Wasn't she? Or rather, her brain was completely fuzzy. With reluctance she let go of Warrick's hand and released her grip on his shoulder. She immediately stumbled.

“Careful,” he said gently, catching her. “You've been on your feet a long time. Will you be okay to get to your room, or do you need...assistance?” he asked, saying the last word a bit hopefully.

Emma steadied herself and looked up at his face. His brown eyes were soft and inviting. _Oh no._ She knew that if she took his hand again she might not make it to her room at all, and she wasn't ready for that. She needed to straighten her head out first.

“I'll be okay.”

*********************

Emma felt dizzy as she half walked and half floated down the hallway to her room. Not from the dancing. Not from the fact that it was much later than she normally stayed up. She felt dizzy and it wasn't about teasing from others, or feeling vaguely annoyed at how people grinned at them, or being uncomfortable about how comfortable she felt around him. She felt dizzy because she understood that she was in love, and the realization was like a supernova had gone off in her chest. Emma was very much looking forward to going to bed and letting dreams sort out her new confusing thoughts. Although she wasn't exactly sure what kind of dreams they would be...

A crack of light was visible under her bedroom door. That could only mean one thing. One dreaded thing. She paused outside, took a deep breath, and turned the doorknob.

Elaine and Selva were sitting next to each other on Selva's bed, chatting. At Emma's entrance they immediately turned to face her, grinning like irritating Cheshire cats.

“Did you kiss???” Elaine asked excitedly.

Emma picked up the pillow from her bed and threw it at Elaine's face. She flopped face down on the bed, pulled the covers over her head and said her last words of the evening. “If either of you says one more thing to me tonight I will stick you with the pointy end of my sword.”

Emma heard Selva whisper to Elaine. “I think that means 'no.'”

 

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: “Namesake” is the copyright of Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey. This story/art is licensed under the Creative Commons as a attribution, non-commerical work. No profit is being made off this piece.


End file.
